Case Study: U.S. Geological Survey achieves 75,000 monthly GeoPDF downloads and expanded public access to topo maps with TerraGo

U.S. Geological Survey - Customer Case Study

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the nation’s largest civilian mapping and Earth‑science agency, collects and distributes data about water, land, and biological resources. To better serve the public and make its topo maps and imagery more accessible and actionable, USGS needed a more effective distribution approach — prior to adopting new formats it was averaging only about 4,000 monthly downloads of its topo quads.

In December 2009 USGS partnered with TerraGo to publish next‑generation layered GeoPDF "Digital US Topo Maps," built from National Map layers like orthoimagery, roads, contours, names, and hydrography. That change drove adoption: monthly downloads rose from roughly 4,000 to about 75,000, greatly expanding public access to reliable geospatial information.

U.S. Geological Survey